DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-2, 8-11 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(1)(1) as being anticipated by Sugawara et al. (US 7,938,038) (hereinafter Sugawara 1).
Regarding Claim 1, Sugawara 1 discloses a robot joint structure (see Fig. 1) comprising:
A first link (53) and a second link (51).
A joint (52) that connects the first link and the second link to each other (see Fig. 1).
A driver (10, 20) that rotates the first link and the second link relative to each other (see Figs. 5A-5F).
A movable cover (40) that is configured movably with respect to the joint to move in response to relative rotation between the first link and the second link to cover the joint (see Fig. 7).
Regarding Claim 2, Sugawara 1 further discloses the robot joint structure according to claim 1, wherein the joint includes an engager (41b) that is driven by the driver to move in response to the relative rotation between the first link and the second link (see Col. 7 Lines 34-39, disclosing cover 41 is fixed to the first link and moves with it; see Col. 8 Lines 21-23, disclosing the engager is fixed to the cover and accordingly moves with it as well).
The movable cover includes an engagee (43a) that engages with the engager to be moved in response to the relative rotation between the first link and the second link by engagement of the engagee with the engager (see Col. 8 Lines 21-26).
Regarding Claim 8, Sugawara 1 further discloses the robot joint structure according to claim 1 further comprising a fixed cover (41) that is configured separately from the movable cover to cover the joint with the fixed cover being fixed to the joint (see Col. 7 Lines 34-39).
Wherein the first link and the second link rotate relative to each other to perform bending and stretching motions (see Figs. 5A-5F).
The fixed cover is covered by the movable cover when the first link and the second link are in a stretched state (see Figs. 1 and 5A-5F), and is exposed from the movable cover toward the second link when the first link and the second link are in a bent state (see Figs. 1 and 5A-5F).
Regarding Claim 9, Sugawara 1 further discloses the robot joint structure according to claim 8, wherein the movable cover has a greater width in an axial direction of rotation between the first link and the second link than the fixed cover (see Fig. 1, showing the movable cover is outward of the fixed cover and accordingly would be bigger).
Regarding Claim 10, Sugawara 1 further discloses the robot joint structure according to claim 8, wherein the fixed cover includes a pinching-preventer (41a) that protrudes toward the movable cover from an end of the fixed cover on a side toward which the movable cover moves to cover the fixed cover when the fixed cover is exposed from the movable cover to prevent pinching between the fixed cover and the movable cover (see Figs. 7-8).
Regarding Claim 11, Sugawara further discloses the robot joint structure according to claim 1,wherein the first link and the second link rotate relative to each other to perform bending and stretching motions (see Figs. 5A-5F).
The driver includes a linear movement mechanism (13) having a linearly movable distal end connected to the joint (see Fig. 4, showing connection at 6), and is arranged on a side opposite to a direction of rotation in which the first link and the second link are rotated relative to each other to perform a bending motion (see Fig. 4).
The movable cover moves in response to the relative rotation between the first link and the second link driven by linear movement of the distal end of the linear movement mechanism (see Figs. 1 and 4).
Regarding Claim 13, Sugawara 1 discloses a robot (see Abstract) comprising:
A first link (53) and a second link (51).
A joint (52) that connects the first link and the second link to each other (see Fig. 1).
A driver (10, 20) that rotates the first link and the second link relative to each other (see Figs. 5A-5F).
A movable cover (40) that is configured movably with respect to the joint to move in response to relative rotation between the first link and the second link to cover the joint (see Fig. 7).
Claims 1 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(1)(1) as being anticipated by Sugawara et al. (US 7,581,465) (hereinafter Sugawara 2).
Regarding Claim 1, Sugawara 2 discloses a robot joint structure (see Fig. 1) comprising:
A first link (42) and a second link (44).
A joint (36) that connects the first link and the second link to each other (see Fig. 5).
A driver (76) that rotates the first link and the second link relative to each other (see Figs. 7-8).
A movable cover (88) that is configured movably with respect to the joint to move in response to relative rotation between the first link and the second link to cover the joint (see Figs. 7-8).
Regarding Claim 12, Sugawara 2 further discloses the robot joint structure according to claim 1, wherein the first link is a thigh (24R) in a humanoid robot (see Fig. 1; see Col. 11 Lines 16-19, disclosing that joint 36 is used for both the elbow and knee joints).
The second link is a lower leg (26R) in the humanoid robot (see Fig. 3).
The movable cover is configured movably with respect to the joint as a knee joint to move in response to relative rotation between the first link as the thigh and the second link as the lower leg (see Figs. 3, and 7-8).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-7 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GREGORY WEBER whose telephone number is (571)272-3307. The examiner can normally be reached 9AM - 5PM M-F.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, MINNAH SEOH can be reached at (571) 270-7778. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/GREGORY ROBERT WEBER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3618
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